UP Court Defers Hearing in Defamation Case against Rahul Gandhi

An MP-MLA court in Uttar Pradesh has deferred the hearing in a case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, wherein he is accused of making objectionable remarks against Union Minister Amit Shah. The new hearing date is set for February 20, 2024.

The defamation case was filed by local BJP leader Vijay Mishra on August 4, 2018. The allegation stems from a press conference held in Bengaluru on May 8 during the Karnataka assembly elections that year when Rahul Gandhi, as the Congress leader, purportedly accused the then BJP chief Amit Shah of murder.

According to prosecution lawyer Santosh Kumar Pandey, Gandhi was scheduled to appear before the court. However, his advocate Kashi Prasad Shukla informed the court that the former Congress chief is currently engaged in the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’.

Additionally, it was conveyed to the court that Gandhi received the court summons just a day prior, making it impossible for him to attend on Thursday. In light of these circumstances, Advocate Shukla requested the court to provide a suitable date between February 15 and 25 for his client’s appearance. Consequently, the court has finalized February 20 as the subsequent hearing date in this case.